About your 2019 goals – March Edition

How has 2019 been for you so far? Have you been working towards achieving your goals? 

As a practice, I like to talk about achieving your goals when all the other articles and conversations are over. It is already March, and some of us may be starting to doubt that we can achieve the goals we set for this year. Let's start with the good news - we still have nine months to make things happen.   
In this blog post, we will reflect on where we are with the help of some questions, plan steps to achieve our goals this year and I'll wrap up with a summarized reflection on my journey so far.   
 
Status Quo – Reflecting on where you are now.  
Let's start with a quick review of the progress you have made so far with the help of some reflective questions.   

#1: Do you have a plan for this year?   
"Stop setting goals. Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them." Stephen Covey   
This quote sums it up perfectly. With a plan of action, you know the necessary steps to take to achieve your goals. Understanding the steps, you plan to take is crucial.   
 
#2: Did you take action?  
"Achieving our goals takes more than good intentions. You have to take action and then systematically measure your progress." - Michael Hyatt  
Having a plan is a great start. Taking a step and making progress on the planned activities is what gets you results.  
  
#3: Were your goals too "crazy"?   
There is a thin line between setting aspirational goals and crazy goals that you can't achieve no matter how hard you work. Setting aspirational goals is important to get you out of your comfort zone.   
 
#4: Did you set goals you really care about?  
In talking to women around me, I noticed a trend of setting goals because other people are working on them. The pressure to set similar goals is real. Reflect on your goals and get clarity on why you chose to work on them.  
 
#5: Did you surround yourself with people who were working towards their goals?   
Being around people who are focused on and achieving their goals increases your success rate. Look around you and evaluate if you have some great "achievers" in your support network.   
  
#6: Did you equip yourself with the necessary tools?  
Especially if you are working on new goals, it is important to find tools that will help you achieve your goals. Some examples of tools include trainings, books, webinars and any additional resources that provide you with knowledge.   
  
#7: Are you setting goals in all important aspects of your life?  
To achieve balance, it is crucial to set goals in all parts of your personal and professional life. Setting goals in the following areas have made me more successful - self-care, finances, career, personal growth as well as my business.   
  
Action Plan for the next months – What can you do differently to achieve your goals?   
We have nine more months to make this year really count. Explore five simple tips you can apply.   
Tip 1: Write down your goals  
Being able to read your goals often is essential to achieving your goals. Writing your goals down makes them real. If you don't write your goals down, please start now.   
 
Tip 2: Create a plan  
Documenting the concrete steps you plan to take to achieve your goals, helps bring clarity into what it would take to meet them. Having a plan provides you with a way to measure and track your progress.   
 
Tip 3: Start a routine  
To achieve your big goals, you need to be committed and consistent. In my experience when I dedicate time to work on my goals, things get done. Make it a habit to invest time and resources in things that matter to you.   
 
Tip 4: Share your goals  
Talking about your goals with your trusted friends is a great thing to do. Having accountability partners is a proven way to stay on track while you work to achieve your goals.  
  
Tip 5: Track and celebrate your wins  
Make it a priority to celebrate your small and significant accomplishments along the way. Especially if you are working on a big goal, it helps to appreciate the progress that you are making.   
  
MC's story  
I want to take time to review the first three months of my year.  
Personal Growth  
A strong focus for me this year is taking bold steps. The journey so far has been gratifying. Being brave is not easy, but it has provided me with opportunities that I would not have had if I did not take a leap.   
An area where I want to do better over the next months is to prioritize self-care more. With all that I plan to achieve this year, I need to be fully healthy.   
 
Professional Development  
Finding my place in a new large company has been my focus for the first three months of the year. There have been a lot of learnings gathered from experiences and conversation over the last months. Not all my experiences have been positive, but they have all taught me a valuable lesson.  
I want to learn more about navigating my new company and achieving my career growth goals.   
 
Financial Independence  
Growing my finances is an area that I continue to take very seriously. I have been meeting my savings and investment goals.   
Over the next months, I am planning to make a substantial financial investment that will teach me other skills about money. For someone like me that enjoys having a safety net, this is going to be a learning experience.  
 
My Business  
2019 has been a good year so far for me business-wise. I have been focusing on building on the foundation that I built last year and also expanding in new areas. Some of the ventures I developed this year includes getting more life coaching clients, starting my YouTube channel and growing our Mastermind groups.   
My focus for 2019 is to grow my income streams more and have a profitable business. This is definitely a bold goal that I'm working towards.   
  
Final Thoughts  

• Your goals belong to you, find ways that work best for you to achieve them.   
• Find and seize the opportunities that are aligned with your goals.   
• Work towards the things that matter in your life and help you make progress.  

  
Call to action   
What goals are you planning to work on over the next three months? Identify your short-term goals.   
What are you planning to do differently to be more successful? Increase your success rates by making a small change  
 
Great Resources  

• 5 Proven Ways to Set Goals and Achieve Them 
• Goal-Setting Is Linked to Higher Achievement 
• The Power of Writing Down Your Goals and Dreams 
• How To Set Goals (And Why You Should Write Them Down) 
• Golden Rules of Goal Setting 
• 3 Expert-Backed Tips for Achieving Your Biggest Goals 
• How to Achieve Goals and Increase Your Chance of Success